What is a certificat d’urbanisme for before buying?
The certificat d’urbanisme (CU), the planning certificate, states a plot’s planning rules, easements and taxes. The information certificate is answered within 1 month; the operational certificate says within 2 months whether a described project is feasible. Applying is free and open to any interested buyer. The certificate is valid for 18 months and freezes, during that time, the rules and tax rates applicable to a permit application; it is not permission to build.
Two certificates, two questions
The Urban Planning Code provides for two forms of certificate (art. L410-1). Which one you choose depends on what you want to know.
| Information CU | Operational CU | |
|---|---|---|
| The question | Which rules apply to this land? | Is this specific project feasible here? |
| What you describe | The land only | The land and the project (type, area, siting) |
| Reply time | 1 month | 2 months |
| Cost | Free | Free |
| Validity | 18 months | 18 months |
The information certificate states the planning rules for the land, the administrative limits on ownership (public easements, the surroundings of a historic monument), any right of pre-emption, the taxes and contributions, and whether there is a former industrial site or a polluted-soil sector. The operational certificate adds an answer on the project’s feasibility and the state of the utility networks.
A house’s planning rules are read together with other documents, such as easements and extending a house. You can see how a dossier brings them together for one address in the sample dossier.
Who can apply, and how
The owner or anyone with an interest in the land can apply: a prospective buyer, a notaire, an estate agent. The mairie does not notify the owner. You apply on the prescribed form, online if the commune offers it, or at the mairie, with a location plan that you can print from the Géoportail.
- 2 copies in general;
- 3 copies within the boundary of a historic monument;
- for an operational certificate, a description of the project and, if you can, a site plan.
What it freezes for 18 months
The certificate is valid for 18 months from its issue. A permit or declaration filed during that period is examined under the rules in force on the date of the certificate, and the tax rates cannot rise. A right of pre-emption created after it was issued cannot be exercised while it is valid.
There is one reservation: provisions on public safety or health can still apply. The certificate may also announce a sursis à statuer, meaning the mairie could postpone its decision on a future permit, for example when a new PLU is being prepared.
The certificate can be extended by one year if the rules, easements and taxes have not changed; the request must be made at least 2 months before it expires.
No reply: the tacit certificate
If the mairie does not reply in time, a tacit certificate arises. It only guarantees that the planning rules, the administrative limits on ownership and the list of taxes existing on that date will not be called into question. It says nothing about whether a project is feasible. The mairie must still reply in writing, even late.
Before the compromis: when to apply
Allow for the time: an operational certificate can take up to 2 months. If your purchase depends on a project (an extension, a division, a second house), you can apply as soon as the land interests you, or agree with the notaire on a suspensive condition linked to planning permission. The certificate does not replace the permit: only the mairie’s decision on an application allows the works.
The cooling-off period after the compromis
Frequently asked questions
Does the planning certificate cost anything?
No, applying is free, whether for an information or an operational certificate.
Can a buyer apply without the seller’s consent?
Yes. Anyone with an interest in the land can apply, and the mairie does not inform the owner.
Is a positive operational certificate a permit?
No. It says the operation is feasible under the rules; the permit or declaration must still be applied for, and the mairie decides on that application.
How long is the certificate valid?
18 months from its issue, extendable by one year if nothing has changed.
Sources
- Service-public.fr: planning certificate
- Service-public.fr: planning questions before building
- Urban Planning Code, art. L410-1
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